diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_random.c b/sys/kern/kern_random.c
index 901715b067e0..1c859649687b 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_random.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_random.c
@@ -199,8 +199,9 @@ add_timer_randomness(struct random_bucket *r, struct timer_rand_state *state,
 	int		delta, delta2;
 	u_int		nbits;
 	u_int32_t	time;
+	struct timecounter *tc = timecounter;	/* can change at any time */
 
-	num ^= timecounter->tc_get_timecount(timecounter) << 16;
+	num ^= tc->tc_get_timecount(tc) << 16;
 	r->entropy_count += 2;
 		
 	time = ticks;